New audio update from TA and the WOKies on Kilimanjaro.

This is the text of TA’s audio message:

Hi this is TA calling in from Barafu camp at 4685 metres, otherwise known as high camp, or base camp, or i.e: the camp from which we leave in 5 hours to make our journey towards the summit.  We had a great move over here this morning, in a record time of 3 ½ hours almost beating the porters.  We are moving well, everyone felt like they were having their best moving day yet.  Very little altitude symptoms, everyone is feeling strong and ready to go for the summit. 

Nancy was enjoying having her own belongings as her luggage managed to arrive here yesterday and we assigned her the name of ‘Code-a-Chrome’, we have also assigned the nickname of ‘Mountain Momma’ to the one ours porters and guides often call momma…we will leave that to you to guess…

We leave at 10 pm tonight for the summit.  Estimates of somewhere between 7 and 9 hours to the summit, and then 3 to 5 hours back down here to Barafu camp rest for a while, eat and then make our way down to Mweka.

Everyone wants to send their love home, so I have quite a list here:

Flora sends love to Sue and Ben, Jude, John and Keith

Leslie to Dan, Kerin and Stevie, and Pat and Graham

Diane to Greg, Luke and Andrew

Karen sends her love to Sue YeaYea and Shin Shin

Abigail to Andy, Kylia, Sky and London

Wanda to Christy and we thank Christy for her update on the Stanley Cup

Ann Marie to Harry, Sara and Ben

Marian to Richard, Mika, Helmy, Eric, Alex, Adrian and Hillary

Nancy to Furry, E.D, B.B, K.P, A.G, Pick and the rest of her family

TA to Leo, Takunda, Rain and Zander and the rest of my family

So we know that we will be carrying your thoughts and prayers and good wishes as we make our way toward the summit tonight.  We are hoping to make our next update from the summit of Uhura peak, the roof of Africa at 5985 metres of 5895 metres…something like that…I’ve got a little altitude on the brain and don’t remember the exact number.

So I’ll sign off for now…gota change satellite phone batteries and do a few things before I have dinner and resting again, before we take off at 11…

Cheers to you…Cheers to us, and wish us the best…

Thanks…bye

TA